Ryan Fleming is friendly, open to ideas and professional. The shop , equipment and cleanliness are extraordinary. He takes his time to create the beautiful skin art you've been dreaming of. He is truly an artist and I feel fortunate to be his customer for my first tattoo. read more

Sanctuary Tattoo - Take these broken wings and learn to fly. A very meaningful mantra I needed to walk again after a brain hemorrhage - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

Ryan Fleming is a professional, kind, funny human being and someone I look forward to working with. The studio itself is clean and predictable. He creates something out of the pile of ideas I send him and never disappoints. He curates a welcoming and relaxing environment and doesn't fail to keep his hand relatively light and the experience short. It's all your own preference, but I never feel as though I am alone through the process, he has the ability to make conversation with a wall or just be the wall. I have first-hand seen him interact with unexpected costumers and been touched by how he can kindly answer questions that might seem obvious to others. I can't wait to work with him again. I just got a tattoo done today, but have added a picture of a memorial tattoo that he did for me a couple years back. read more

Sanctuary Tattoo - A relatively unhealed tattoo. I regularly get compliments on it and have never had an ounce of regret! - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Maine

I have gotten several tattoos done by Aaron 10/10 for every aspect of my experience with him as well as the shop I would highly recommend to anyone looking to get a kickass tattoo! read more

Recently yelp sent me an email about tattoo places in Portland. I was glad to see that Sanctuary was included as a feature destination. I already know this is one of the premier places in Portland for tattoos since I'm a regular customer. So, I don't really need to read the reviews. However, I decided to scroll through and noticed that there weren't any recent reviews for artist Jennifer Moore. It's probably because she is so far booked out that the typical yelp reviewer who has come in for a quickie wouldn't be able to see her right away and then post away on social media as everyone seems to do these days. Anyway, Jennifer Moore is superb! There really is no best way to describe her. You have to meet her. She is a true force of nature! She has a way of focusing all her abilities and talents into your craziest desires and executing them perfectly. I recommend her highly! read more

Sanctuary Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Maine

This place is great! My friends and I were here for a Weezer show and we wanted to go as a group. Melissa was very accommodating and knew that the group would be trickling in since this was kind of spur of the moment. Jeff was really great- he pretty much set out the vision of my tattoo and is just an all around nice guy. In all, there were five of us that were able to hop in to get tattoos; definitely recommend a weekday if you can spare it! read more

I recently had a half sleeve done here with Scott. I chose him after looking at all the various artist's work on line. I was really impressed with his ability to do animals so well. He didn't disappoint. I went in with a vague idea- I knew I wanted my zoo in there with mountains and weightlifting. Somehow, he took that idea and made it work. I paid I think 700 a sitting and it was done in 2. I really love it and it's so eye catching I get comments everywhere I go. So glad I got this done and super happy he was able to accommodate me before I moved away! read more

See all

Professional, clean, efficient and priced fairly; I always recommend Sanctuary to my friends that are looking for a local artist. I wanted simple text in a font that a friend designed for me- it was done perfectly (within 30 minutes). I'm looking forward to going back to Jen for my next piece-can't wait! read more

Sanctuary Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Maine

not sure if my review went through but i just wrote a huge one and i wasn't signed in but ryan is a legend 10/5 clean, friendly, amazing service, and affordable. read more

Sanctuary Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Maine

I have been in a few tattoo shops in my life but this one takes the cake. The attitude of everyone in the shop is very positive. I was lucky enough to have worked with Scott and I have to say that what he created is the coolest tattoo I've ever seen and I am super excited that its on my arm. He was very easy with work with and he made me feel comfortable through the whole process. The prices are reasonable and the shop is very clean. I would definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a quality tattoo. read more

Sanctuary Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Maine

Absolutely amazing. I got my tattoo done by Carrie-Ann (I believe that was her name) and she did the most beautiful watercolor tattoo on my leg that I still get compliments on daily. It looks exactly like watercolor in every way. She was so kind, welcoming and very professional. Wil is very good at was he does, the best, maybe. Though he seems very cold, he's an incredible tattoo artist. I suggest that anyone goes to him, especially if you want something realistic-looking. He blows my mind and everyone I know who has gone to him has incredible work done. I suggest that anyone who wants a tattoo to go there, even if it's a long wait. They only employ the best and take what they do very seriously. It's absolutely worth it. They do great cover up work as well, though I forgot who did mine! read more

Today was my 2nd tattoo at Sanctuary with Jeff Clark as my artist. I could not be more happy and can't recommend highly enough this place. Jeff is super accommodating and is a super pro. The place has a great ambience and Melissa is an incredible manager. If u want a new tattoo, this place is the place for u. read more

Sanctuary Tattoo - These r the 2 tattoos I talked about earlier. - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

Such a great place! They were able to take my four friends and myself in as a last minute walk in to get small matching tattoos together!! Aaron Burns did an incredible job adding my matching tattoo around an existing tattoo and I couldn't be happier! Very friendly with awesome senses of humor! Thank you guys so much for making our trip to Portland that much more special! read more

It just doesn't get any better than Sanctuary Tattoo. My mom and I went in together - for her very first tattoo and for some added detail on my second tattoo. Danielle was kind enough to fit us in for both a consultation and the actual tattoo within about two weeks. My schedule was kind of crazy, but she kindly found the time to fit us in before she was about to go on vacation. I cannot praise Sanctuary and Danielle enough. From the moment we stepped through the door, everyone was so very kind and accommodating. Danielle put my mother at ease from the beginning, and was patient enough to field questions about how she got into tattooing, how the needles work, and everything else my mom came up with. Danielle accommodated all of my mothers small requests - from copying my older sister's handwriting to inching it just a smidge to the left about three different times. My mom cannot stop staring at her tattoo - she couldn't love it more. While she was adding some small detail to my tattoo, Danielle was kind enough to ask if I wanted her to clean up some of the line work the last guy had done. I had a pretty crap experience with the last tattoo artist down in Texas, and had come to accept the slightly crooked lines and sort of messy detail. But she fixed it up so nicely and somehow made me feel less psychotic about noticing the crooked lines in the first place. Anyway - I could clearly rave on forever about this place. The place is clean, the people are kind and clearly extraordinary at what they do, and I would recommend this place a hundred times over. read more

Book your appointment a few months in advance - this place is busy and worth the wait! I received my very first tattoo from Ryan. Although my tat was small, he was completely understanding how important it was for me. The tattoo studio is clean with tons of artwork to choose from....very professional atmosphere! You will not be disappointed. read more

I knew I wanted to get my first tattoo from Jen for several years before I finally was able to do it. It was such a wonderful and magical experience. Jen is a magical person, who does beautiful work with such intuition, such caring, and such comfort. She knew so much about me and why I was there even though we had just met. It was indeed tattoo therapy. She replaced a scar, both literally and figuratively, with a gorgeous image. I sat for three and a half hours, and barely got tired of the needle. There was so much in the experience that I cannot cover in this review, but I know that I am forever grateful to Jen. read more

I recently had the first of several planned sessions for a large arm piece, and I couldn't be happier with the whole experience. I came in with a pretty clear idea of what I wanted, along with a bunch of photos, to show my mad talented artist, Jen. Jen made a number of suggestions, talked about color, placement, and most important, what the design means to me. She is easygoing but focused, she really listens to the client, and her workspace is more immaculate than my doctor's office, so I was able to just relax during my session. The design I left with is so gorgeous, with such crisp lines and luscious colors; I can't stop looking at it. It's exactly what I wanted, yet so much better than I'd ever imagined. I'm looking forward to my future sessions, and to seeing how the design progresses as we continue. read more

Great customer service! Didn't end up getting a tattoo today but definitely want to go back. The atmosphere was chill, the people were super friendly and it was clean. Great place for a tattoo!!!! read more

I've been in a couple times. Ryan did awesome work for me a couple years ago, I was especially happy with how he brought one of my old pieces back to life. He's a pretty busy guy so don't expect to get in right away. I went in yesterday to work on a cover up and a new piece with Jeff Clark and I love how they turned out! I was impressed that he did some research before I came in and he offered up some ideas to create something better than I had planned. I drive two hours to come here because I haven't found another place that compares. Looking forward to coming back. Clean facility. They don't disappoint! read more

Work was well done (very simple black line work), though definitely overpriced compared to the rest of the local market. Had previous work done locally at Squid and Whale that was more involved but the cost/hr was less. Staff was a little preoccupied with socializing and it took a long time to actually get in the chair. read more

I love this place :) Ryan is awesome. He's a great artist and a wonderful person to talk with. Makes the time fly by. All his work is custom. read more

Nice clean shop wonderful artists. Ryan is great took my vision up to the next level. Been 3 visits and already scheduled my next. New favorite place. read more

Ryan is amazing, totally love the memorial tattoo he did for me, his artwork is fantastic, already looking forward to going back for another! read more

Where do I start? I've never had a tattoo and have been trying to decide for years what to get. I decided on a watercolor of my garden and started researching shops, which led me to Sanctuary. Melissa was extremely informative and helpful, and set me up with Aaron. I sent some pictures of my flowers in, and when I met Aaron for the consultation, he knew exactly what I wanted, what my style was like, and completely put me at ease. When I came in for the appointment, he was ready with the design, which was perfect, no changes were even needed. I sat for the full day appointment, and he was very gentle, friendly, and unbelievably talented. I have the soft outline of my flower garden on my arm and it looks exactly like the photos. I have received countless compliments, and it's only half done. I cannot wait to come back in April for the watercolor to be applied. Aaron is an amazing artist, and Sanctuary is awesome. I can't recommend it enough! read more

The work that Wil did on my half-sleeve is absolutely unreal. The attention to detail, colors, & overall design that he created for me were even better than I had hoped. The flowers are so realistic that I had a hummingbird check it out-- no joke! I should start carrying around some business cards for Sanctuary, because I can't even keep track of the number of people who have wanted to know who did my work. I can't imagine ever going anywhere else for future work. He was well worth the wait & investment. read more

I moved here from Montana and have gotten tattoos in Chicago and Montana, and I must say, the tattoo I had Scott put on my body almost made me cry. I think the majority of people get ink that speaks of who they are, and this was for my grandmother. He made some amendments to the design and I had to trust him, and I did, and it is unbelievable. Scott is a newer artist at Sanctuary, and I am very happy he took the time to speak with me the day he did. I also had Scott re-do an older tattoo that I had, and again, put my faith in him to make it how he thought it would look best, and again, I was blown away. On behalf of the others at Sanctuary, I went to the studio a couple different times with different designs and questions, and every time was treated seriously and professionally. All my questions were answered, and I was just blown away how important their work is to them. Sanctuary is what a tattoo studio should be; serious and professional and there to help put the most permanent art they can on your body. Don't get me wrong, a very personable staff, as well, but proud of what they do. I may be moving back to Montana...wish they'd guest tattoo out there! I highly recommend Sanctuary! Thank you guys/gals for your studio. read more

It took me awhile to get in (their appointment wait list is a few months) and unfortunately I had to reschedule a few times due to personal issues. But very good communication with the shop manager Melissa helped this. I was able to finally set a date and work with new (to Sanctuary) artist Jeff to bring my final ideas to fruition and into permanency on my skin. Jeff took the time beforehand via email - and the morning of my appointment- to make sure everything was as it should be. There was no rushing or pressure. We did a solid four hour sitting, and honestly it went by faster than an hour sitting i've had elsewhere. Good shop vibe, great music, and most importantly, great work. I couldn't be happier with the result. I definitely plan to be back to Jeff and Sanctuary for my next piece. read more

Love them! The only place I will ever get my tattoos in Portland. I got my first tattoo from Danielle and she was perfect. Made me feel super comfortable with the whole process. My second piece was done by Carrie (per Danielle's suggestion), and she was just as great! I emailed her my ideas from California, and when I was back in town, she did not disappoint. I went back for a complimentary touch up, and it held up so well that it didn't even need it! The whole shop is amazing! Thanks gals! read more

I really loved the artwork I saw done at Sanctuary Tattoo, but when I went to have a tattoo consultation the artist I spoke with treated me like absolute crap! He was completely rude and arrogant, and didn't even give me the chance to explain what my tattoo design meant to me before tearing it a part. I understand constructive criticism and making polite suggestions on how to improve a tattoo idea, but this was completely unprofessional and rude. He made me feel awful, and basically acted as though he was "too good" of an artist to bother with my design. His artwork is fantastic but his attitude is shit, and I will never set foot in that studio again. read more